The area surrounding the proposed well pad is a nesting site for native birds i.e. corn bunting, curlews, lapwing, and grey partridge – all threatened species.

The proposed well pad is located in a field which backs on to New Cut Drain – which is a nesting site for mallard ducks.

The pad is only 12 km from Martin Mere which has a large and diverse wintering, passage and breeding bird community and houses a number of geese and swans.

There is considerable movement of wintering birds between Martin Mere and the nearby River Alt estuary, and the wildfowl forage on the surrounding farm lands.

Traffic

The main access route proposed is along the A565 Formby by-pass turning off onto the B5195 and running between a busy supermarket and an industrial estate.

The by-pass already carries heavy traffic at peak times which will be intensified due to the plans for extensive house building on green belt land in Formby.

The site access then runs from Great Altcar village 900m along and alongside Sutton’s Lane, a narrow track which was designated a public highway in the 1800s.

The track is in poor condition and is primarily used by farm vehicles for field access at present. Its surface is unsuitable for most vehicles due to the risk of grounding.

Using the track as access to the well pad will impede farm activity and could cause traffic to back up on the B5195, the main route from Formby to Ormskirk hospital and the Children’s A&E Department for the area.

The vehicles (e.g. tankers) serving the operation of the well pad may well contain toxic loads, adding to the potential risk and consequences of road traffic accidents.

Lack of emergency plans

Experience in other countries has demonstrated that fracking wells can cause fires and explosions, blowbacks, and unintended gas discharges into their vicinity.

These dangers may require immediate action by local emergency services, all of which have suffered severe funding cuts in recent years and face further cutbacks.

The nearest fire station to the proposed well pad is in Formby (retained-only basis) and full cover would need to come from Southport, Ormskirk, or Buckley Hill.

Neither the Merseyside or Lancashire Fire and Rescue Services has yet developed plans to deal with the risks posed by fracking well operation at Great Altcar.

Nor are there plans by the Police or the local authorities for a public evacuation of Formby or Great Altcar in the event of an unintended gas discharge.

Similarly, the government’s environmental agencies have no detailed plans or procedures yet to remedy contamination of groundwater sources.

Hydrogeology

Groundwater originates from rain and from melting snow and ice and is held in pervious rocks providing the source of water for aquifers, springs, and wells.

Nearly 30% of UK public water supply is recovered from aquifers, and they are a crucial source of private supplies for domestic, agricultural, and industrial use.

Due to its wet climate, NW England reliance on direct groundwater supplies is low, but central and southeast England is heavily dependent on the resource.

About 45% of Aurora’s PEDL 164 is though covered by groundwater protection legislation and monitored through boreholes for both level and quality, but ….

The nearest groundwater monitoring boreholes are about 5km away from the proposed well pad at Great Altcar, and incapable of judging the impact of fracking.

Flood defence

Great Altcar village is built on land reclaimed from the sea which lies alongside the meandering river Alt. It is surrounded by low-lying agricultural land on a peat bed.

The area is categorised by the Environment Agency as Flood zone 2 and 3, potentially at risk of flooding from rivers or sea and needing adequate defences.

Like much of the Lancashire Plain the land is crossed by numerous field drains, with reliance on floodgates and dredging to manage flood defence.

The government’s funding cuts in local flood defence (in the face of extreme weather conditions due to climate change) are a source of concern.

Fracking at Great Altcar adds to the risk because if the local river and drains overflow, they could flood the well pad and potentially spread toxic chemicals.

Landscape and visual impact

The village of Great Altcar is a designated Conservation Area containing structures of special architectural or historic interest with statutory (Listing) protection.

West Lancs. BC has issued a direction restricting the permitted development rights of property owners, trying to reduce uncontrolled development within the Area.

Views are far reaching all around the village extending out over open fields to the slightly raised ground in the far distance, emphasising its rural and isolated nature.

The construction of a well pad for fracking is alien to the local landscape. Its need to operate using night time working under floodlights is an intolerable intrusion.

The additional traffic of heavy goods vehicles needed to serve the construction and operation of the site is quite out of character with the village.

Local economy

The local economic benefits claimed to accrue from fracking stem from increased employment and additional spending brought into the surrounding area.

Any extra local jobs are though likely to be either temporary and of a menial nature and have to be set against losses in local agriculture, services, and tourism.

The market for agricultural (organic) produce grown locally may shrink if customers believe it might be (or become) contaminated by fracking activity.

Similarly, the area’s attractiveness as a buoyant tourism spot may be undermined (and jobs lost as a result) if potential visitors fear they may face health hazards.

Most of the extra spending claimed by a fracking scheme is unlikely to be spent in the immediate area, other than temporarily on service industries like hotels.

16. Aurora’s viability

Fracking operators must satisfy government regulators of their financial ability to construct and operate their sites and restore them back to original condition.

Aurora took over PEDL 164 in 2010 intending to re-activate the old Formby oilfield. It is only in recent years that it has changed direction in favour of shale gas.

The company has incurred significant losses since then (partially abortive) which have been largely covered by offshore benefactors’ funding of its activities.

Rich overseas investors with corporations based in known tax havens suggests that they would not be prepared to pay UK taxes on profits earned from fracking.

There is little evidence that Aurora currently has the viability to conclude its PEDL licence conditions or compensate residents in the event of environmental damage.